​Customers should contact BGE to have gas service turned on at individual properties if they haven't done so already

BALTIMORE (May 8, 2017) – Baltimore Gas and Electric Company (BGE) has restored natural gas to all of the gas mains serving the 22 blocks around Matthew A. Henson Elementary School in West Baltimore following the infiltration of water into the gas mains from area water pipes last week. Roughly half of the 500 customers who lost gas service during this event have had service restored, with the remaining being restored today or as customers request restoration. An estimated 10,000 gallons of water were removed from the gas mains since last week.  

"We thank our customers for their patience and understanding as we work to restore gas service safely and as quickly as possible," said Christie McMullen, vice president of gas distribution for BGE.  "We especially want to thank the Matthew Henson Community Association, the Baltimore City Department of Public Works and the Mayor's Offices of Emergency Management and Neighborhoods for their continued collaboration with our dedicated team of employees and contractors during this event."  

Customers whose service has not yet been restored should contact BGE at 1.800.685.0123 to schedule a technician to come to their home and restart gas service if they are not home during BGE's door to door canvassing and restoration activities today. In cases where water has entered a customer's premises, local plumbers will be used to remove the water from customer-owned piping and appliances. If appliances are not safe to relight after water has been removed, the plumber will leave the appliance off until the customer or property owner can arrange for repairs to be made.

Supporting BGE with this labor-and time-intensive effort were BGE contractors and supplementary crews from BGE's Exelon sister utilities, PECO and Delmarva Power.  Crews worked to stop the water infiltration, turn off service to all affected properties, pump the gas lines clear of water and re-introduce gas into the mains before restoring service to individual customers.  More than 300 field employees and contractors have been present throughout the neighborhood around the clock over the last six days.  Crews will remain in the area to reconnect customers, remove equipment and begin restoring work zones. 

The safety of our customers, employees and contractors remains the top priority. As always, customers who smell natural gas or detect escaping gas are asked to get to a safe location and contact BGE immediately at 1.800.685.0123.​

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BGE, founded in 1816 as the nation's first gas utility, is Maryland's largest natural gas and electric utility. Headquartered in Baltimore, BGE delivers power to more than 1.25 million electric customers and more than 650,000 natural gas customers in central Maryland. The company's approximately 3,200 employees are committed to the safe and reliable delivery of natural gas and electricity, as well as enhanced energy management, conservation, environmental stewardship and community assistance. The company also has an estimated annual economic impact of $5 billion of output in its service area, supporting more than 9,500 local jobs and producing $923 million in labor income. BGE is a subsidiary of Exelon Corporation (NYSE: EXC), the nation's leading competitive energy provider. Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter, YouTube  and Flickr.